Every Fleeting Glance
by Faux Promises
Summary: The cute little waitress from Mizuho. A young Zelos had not quite realized what it was about her that was so very fascinating. Just that there were words he wanted to say, and so little time to say them. Sheelos, oneshot.


**A/N**: Oh, it seems I've done it. I've written an excessively long oneshot. Heehee. Well, it is also a songfic. I don't know if those are 'allowed' any more, but I have a disclaimer and that should be enough. Here's my tribute to Landon Pigg's 'Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop.' This whole thing is for my friends here and all the Sheelos community, however vacant it seems to be. For Moonlitinuko, CruxisCrystal, whiterose2406, blade liger knight, Arissamay...essentially all of you guys who have been kind and reviewed for me. It really is nice to hear from other people, especially on a site here where such a thing is voluntary.

Disclaimer: I don't own neither Tales or the song. Get over it. ;) Incidentally, I don't own Better Homes and Gardens either. Good thing I don't want to.

x x x x x

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you  
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you  
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down  
I want to come too_

Coffee.

The way the young Chosen had chirped the word had been enough to make her almost gag. He was, apparently, oblivious to the fact that she had no desire to go anywhere with him, least of all in his territory of Meltokio. Even just a little outing with said person was a potential threat not only to her dignity, but more importantly, her sanity. Sheena was not, and never had been, one to be coerced into doing something she didn't want to do.

So how, then, had she ended up on the back of a Rheaird clinging for dear life to Zelos Wilder of all people?

Watching the patchwork scenery as it passed lazily below them, Sheena found that she could not provide an adequate explanation to herself as to how indeed she had agreed to such a suicidal escapade. The fact that her female 'equipment' still remained un-fondled was a miracle in and of itself. He'd been unusually well-behaved, to be sure. She was suspicious from the very start and had made careful note to watch his every move with extra scrutiny.

And yet, for some unbeknownst reason, none of his typical antics had yet ensued. She wasn't altogether certain whether she was appreciative, confused, disconcerted, or all three of them at once and to varying degrees. Perhaps he had suffered head trauma?

Whatever the source of this metamorphosis was, one thing was for sure. Sheena did not like it one bit. Or more accurately, she did not trust it. She was accustomed to believing that people never change, and if they do, never for the better. It did not seem either likely or possible that the flirtatious creature she had come to know would suddenly become (dare she say it?), _tolerable_. Certainly not.

There _was_ a part of her, however, that was simply frustrated. Probably owing to her personality, she had refused to admit it at first. His civil behavior toward her could be an ephemeral happening, she reasoned. One that would fold with the proper pressure applied.

But_ that_ whole train of thought had not worked very long.

Not very long at all, to be honest.

Even considering that they had only been in each other's company a short while so far, she already had had her beliefs on him firmly shaken. Here she was, after all, with her body against his in the unfortunate position called for by a two-person Rheaird ride. She had insisted that he drive, keeping in mind the vulnerability she would suffer if the sneaky Chosen's hands were free to roam.

And yet without his usual lewd behavior, one glaring, undeniable fact had become apparent.

Sheena had absolutely no idea how to interact with this strange man.

Minus the unflattering chauvinism she'd thought him to be caught up in, she had always found herself with a strange gravity toward the wild redhead. It would maybe be called a crush, she presumed, but what that consisted of she didn't exactly know. Her relationships with the other males of the party, as well as the many brother-like figures she had grown up with, had always been friendships. How confusing it was to grapple with a feeling so much more complex, and at times, very painful.

And just where the _hell_ was it coming from?

Some of it she guessed was due to his unusual attractiveness, which seemed both delicately refined and distinctly masculine at the same time. She could even say she enjoyed his company when he was being serious, often proving to be quite intellectual once she'd get him to start talking. Though that twinkling of lust for her always remained in his eyes, she did not begrudge him for that part of it. The words, and the touching, were what invoked her wrath and drove them from speaking. If only he could manage to restrain these childish things, she might be inclined to move closer to him of her own free will.

It was, after a long while of consideration, that she had decided this to be wholly impossible.

Far too much time had passed with well-rehearsed little spats between them slowly turning into the only way they knew how to communicate with each other. For the duration of their recent journey, the same cycle would repeat itself. Zelos would make some deliberately provoking comment, she would take the hook and assault him in some way, and he'd get his satisfaction from having attracted her attention. The whole affair was simply natural, akin to salmon swimming upstream to spawn.

Her internal voice smirked at this, taking on in his absence the usual snide tone of the former Chosen. _What an unbecoming metaphor, Sheena! You have any suppressed urges you'd like to share with the class?_

She sighed lightly, a worried wince forming on her face. Even with that unpleasant mess of a human being gone, the regularity of it all was so hard to shake. She almost wished for him to come back, if only to assure her once more that she could not stand him in the least. Now she found herself forced to come to terms with the myriad of emotions and frustrations she held for him.

The summoner shook her head, leaning it against his back in resignation. Things were not supposed to catch her off guard like this! Sheena Megumi Fujibayashi did _not_ get taken by surprise. She had been raised a ninja, was once an assassin with the fate of her world in her hands, and helped stop the end of the entire planet. In theory, nothing was too much a burden for her to handle.

And yet a simple change of heart by someone she found herself rather fond of was enough to bewilder even a fearless ninja's sharpest of wits. Did wonders ever cease?

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you..._

With the first rays of sunlight just beginning to peep in through the blinds of the small home, Sheena already felt the fatigue of early-morning work setting in. Her back was sorer than she ever remembered it having been before, as well as her weaker leg, which often became tensed from overexertion. This seemed like an altogether ironic thing; a short month ago she had been taking down hordes of enemies with ease, and now a simple day of spring-cleaning felt like a real trial of will.

Already she had dragged the sparse amount of furniture out of her house, scrubbed the floors until the faded linoleum shined like brand new, and beaten out the large rug that inhabited the main room. It was a very special item to her, the single family heirloom that she currently held. A reminder that someday, perhaps soon, she would take her position as chief of Mizuho.

Pulling the last piece of furniture back inside, a rather heavy shelf that she kept in the kitchen, she noticed with some surprise that it seemed to have suddenly gotten lighter. The ninja looked up in confusion, wondering if perhaps she had finally gained superhuman strength after all that back-breaking housework.

Instead, she had unwittingly enlisted the 'help' of a certain redhead who had the nerve to come visit her at six o'clock in the morning. As if his presence at all wasn't unbearable enough, he seemed to think such an hour to be appropriate.

"'Morning, Sheena! Working hard as a housewife, I see!" He smiled far too happily for the current time of day, looking in contrast to her as if he'd had plenty of rest. "Very attractive feature in a woman, might I say. Second only to—"

She cut him off as she let go of the shelf, standing up straight to put her hands on her hips. "Maybe I'm mistaken…but I seem to remember telling the village watch to prohibit you, and anyone fitting your description, from entering Mizuho."

Rather irritatingly to her, he took this moment to move into the zone she did not like him in. This was the thing she referred to as her 'personal space.' And in his case, this extended about seven feet in all directions, including vertically. Sheena instinctively braced herself for the impending violation, ready to strike like a scorpion if such should occur.

But it did not. He merely came to stand before her, as anyone would in order to have a proper conversation. 'Anyone' did not often include Zelos, she reminded herself, who did not appear to understand how a normal dialogue between two people worked. Blinking in slight disbelief, the ninja allowed him to speak, though still alert for any potential invasion.

"Well…Orochi was with them. Said I could see you, as long as it was official business. So of course, I told him the king sent me." An overly smug look formed on his face with this statement, one that almost brought her to the point of smacking it clean off of his pretty little face. She would have to remember to tell Orochi not to second guess her decisions, especially when it involved the fork-tongued Chosen.

"Oh, of course," she answered with a forced calmness. "But that's not it, is it? What're you bugging me about now?"

"You know, this and that. We haven't talked in a long time, since you've been preoccupied with Mizuho…and all that emissary of peace business." With this Zelos shot her a rather piercing grin, one she took to mean that he was waiting for her to show some sort of appreciation on the subject.

"And you had something to do with that, yes," she stated dryly. "Should I thank you or be suspicious?"

"Your call there, hunny." He gave her a little wink. "But that's not what I'm here to ask you about either. More important than that, as I think you'd expect."

Sarcastically, she replied, "Surely."

"Ah…" The ex-Chosen stood looking at her with a sharp lack of words, suddenly unprepared for the moment. "Would you maybe…"

"Yes…?" Sheena prompted him, already impatient.

"…or rather, not entirely hate to…"

She rolled her eyes. "_Zelos_!"

"…join me for a cup of coffee?"

It was almost one word, he had said it so quickly. The summoner stared at him for a moment. That had been a difficult question to pose? She shook her head, smiling. He'd had less trouble attempting to woo her on a daily basis. Today was just another day, was it not?

"Look, I appreciate the effort it took you to put together that offer in a non-perverted manner. But I have a lot of work to get done here today," she explained, motioning around at her disarranged house. "Some of us don't have all the time in world, you know."

"I'd get you back here within just a few hours, I promise!" His tone was rather desperate, she found, despite the fact that she had not directly refused him. "Please? Or I could help you, maybe?"

Much to her horror, Sheena could picture exactly the kind of trainwreck that would follow should she accept his help. Zelos, Mr. I-don't-know-what-a-vacuum-is-used-for, did not exhibit the best household management skills in the world. She reasoned that it would be preferable to get some fresh air, after several days of looking over documents and getting minimal sleep, rather than work the whole day through. In all honesty, all she had left to do was return everything to its proper place.

"I guess it would be doable," she surrendered. While she did have her doubts, their current conversation had been unusually tame. That was a good sign. As long as he behaved himself, some time outside of Mizuho would be a nice break for her. "On the condition that you act your age, just for these few hours. Deal?"

She offered him her hand, very serious about the proposition. Already pleased with his victory, Zelos happily shook on it, though she noticed he held onto her hand considerably longer than she would have liked.

"Then let's get going, shall we?" In one fluid movement he was out the door, clearing the shelf that blocked the entrance with wildcat reflexes. Sheena just shook her head.

Returning from the village perimeter, Orochi caught site of her standing there in the doorway. He approached her in his typical carefully-measured step, watching his friend's unwanted guest race towards his Rheaird with a smile fixed firmly on his face.

"He seemed…very happy," he observed in a slightly amused tone, quite aware of how unusual the snarky Chosen always made her act. "What was his news?"

"The untimely death of my better sense of judgment," was her simple reply as she started heavily after him.

_No one understands me quite like you do  
Through all of the shadowy corners of me_

They touched down lightly upon the earth just outside of Meltokio, a small cloud of dust blossoming around the vehicle. Apart from this interruption, the morning was silent. Overhead the sky was a watercolor canvas of orange and purple broken only by the red sun sitting on the horizon. A beautiful day was promised by the purity of the sky, the usual passing clouds absent. Sheena almost could say the city looked beautiful from afar, cast in the light of the rising sun.

Nevertheless, as they disembarked for the entrance to the capitol of Tethe'alla, she felt a certain uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. The ninja had never been fully comfortable with vastly populated places, mostly owing to her own shyness and inability to be superficial when necessary. She'd learned of that personality flaw many years ago when she spent quite a while living in Meltokio, learning to use her summoning powers. Voluntary interaction with the locals had been minimal, and Corrine was her most consistent source of comfort. But even he, too, had often been short with her over the multitude of experiments he was forced to endure by the laboratory's researchers.

The Chosen, on the other hand, had frequently been her company during that long, painful year. Sometimes she was sure that was the only thing that kept her going. Other times, she wished she had never even heard his name.

She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, trying to dispel the notion. Why was she thinking of this anyway? All of that mattered little now. This time she was not a scared child entering a strange town, but instead a proud savior of the world and future chief of Mizuho. Whoever was foolhardy enough to mess with her would be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Zelos, already having begun to close the small distance between their landing spot and the city, glanced back at her still sitting upon the Rheaird. Perhaps noticing the precarious confidence perched upon her face, he came back to help her gently from her seat. Left unsuspecting by her apprehension, Sheena jumped slightly when she felt him take her hand, peering up into ocean blue eyes with a distant surprise. Chivalry was not a thing typically extended to her, and certainly not by the oblivious Chosen.

Much to his disappointment, she quickly recoiled once she was on her feet and began walking on her own to the city's gates. It would have been untrue to say that he hadn't anticipated such from her; he knew very well that she hated the place and made a point of avoiding it. To be honest, he had believed she would reject his offer immediately and perhaps punctuate it with some harsh words or physical punishment.

He couldn't help but release a sigh as he trailed after her. Quite expectedly, she did not say a word as they walked past the guards at the gate and into the almost empty streets. Their intended destination was nearby, a little café nestled beside the local inn.

"Hey, hun." Zelos nudged her shoulder lightly, and she looked over at him as if she had forgotten entirely that she had company. "We're gonna have to stop by my place real fast. I forgot to bring cash, of all things."

She stifled a growl of irritation. If anything, she would have at least wanted not to be so unfortunate as to be visiting the elite end of town on this trip. "It's fine," she quickly insisted. "I have some money on me. It should be plenty enough to cover it."

He smiled knowingly, shaking his head. "As if I'd let you pay, when I invited _you_ out with _me_! I'm not so rude, hm?"

Before she could further protest they were already on their way, weaving up through the city's main square and past the castle. More than anything, Sheena hoped that no one would be out when they arrived. Rich people didn't even get up early, did they? Most of them were living off of fat family inheritances, so surely no one would be headed to work. Right?

She closed her eyes. No way could she get lucky enough not to at least be noticed by someone, who would certainly fabricate rumors immediately. Especially when she was with the ex-Chosen, whose mob of vicious fangirls would most definitely object to her presence with him.

They came to a halt in front of his estate where he bid her wait a moment as he hurried inside. She gave a curt nod, hoping that he would be fast. And as if to speak of the devil, she soon after caught site of two of the aforementioned groupies sharing tea outside of one of the nearby houses. Both had noticed her the minute she had entered their territory, like tigers waiting to pounce. The ninja went out of her way to avoid confrontational eye contact as she realized they had fixed her with a disapproving stare. Apparently wealthy women were accustomed to talking way too loud, because Sheena easily picked up on their conversation as they took their focus off of her and returned to their tittering.

"I still don't quite follow how he thought he could take that tone with me," the blonde one sniffed, adding a sugar cube to her tea rather ruefully. "I'm much more of a lady than he could ever dream of having. And now he brings this little Mizuho harlot around? If that kind of filth is what he's been passing us up for all this time, I say good riddance."

From across the way Sheena could feel herself seething. The nerve of this woman, to refer to her like that! For a moment she considered marching straight over there and showing this harpy what a 'Mizuho harlot' could do to her using only a tea cozy and some sugar tongs, but she digressed. This conversation, insulting as it was, also managed to interest her. Had Zelos had a falling out with these women or something?

The other girl nodded her head gravely. "Oh, how true. He hasn't any room to be treating us so. There are plenty of men with more clout than him who would jump at the chance to court a fine woman with a respectable family name."

With a clink the blonde set her teacup down, a mean-spirited smirk on her face. "That's just what I mean. 'Chosen' is an obsolete title now. No political value any more, other than what some may do for him out of sentiment. How very audacious of him to condescend to me like that! I wouldn't date him now even if he _begged_ me."

Sheena smiled to herself, leaning against the fence behind her. So the snobby princesses hadn't gotten their way, eh? That was a nice change indeed. But why had it happened? As she'd always assumed of him, the idiotic former Chosen was not one to turn anyone down. He certainly wasn't acting in character, what with the whole not groping her act, and now this? She feared she might have to drag him off to the insane asylum and leave him to weave baskets for the rest of his life.

Before she could give any more thought to contacting the men in the white coats, though, Zelos reemerged from his home and moseyed over to join her. When she made no move to leave, he followed her gaze to the two clucking away on their porch. He rolled his eyes in distaste, motioning her to come along and leave the shrews to their own devices.

For a moment, she thought about asking him what had happened. But that would undoubtedly lead to a flood of questions to follow, which would likely end in "Who are you and what have you done with the moron I used to know?"

Instead she merely let him take her arm as they walked away, fully aware that the two, regardless of their excuses, were watching in jealousy.

_I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop  
I love so much  
All of the while I never knew..._

The ease between them, however, was not meant to last.

Sitting in the virtually empty coffee shop, the two found themselves utterly unable to have any kind of conversation. It had been relatively simple to do before on the journey, but now it seemed there was a barrier between them. A barrier of words they couldn't say, words that wouldn't even form into complete sentences. And then, there was the little situation that had just occurred. The summoner's thoughts still remained on that. How was she going to approach it?

Across from her, Zelos wasn't faring any better. Unlike the ninja he had been anticipating this time between them for a long while. He'd considered carefully what it was he wanted to say, rehearsing his words over and over, but with her sitting right there he could not seem to recall any of them. And yet he just couldn't bear the thought of letting her walk away once more. Not ever again.

Jumping into it right off was a bad idea anyway, he reasoned. Perhaps it would be best to start light. With a quick sip of coffee, he looked up at her. "You used to work here, huh?"

Sheena jerked slightly, startled by the sudden breaking of the silence. His voice sounded cutting in the unusual sanctity that this early morning held. "Yes, a long time ago," she replied in a dismissive voice, stirring her drink for what he thought had to be the hundredth time.

Since she did not say anything more, the Chosen took it to mean that he would have to do so. "It wasn't that long ago. I remember it clearly. Does it feel that long to you?"

At this, Sheena had to strain to keep a straight face. She could easily remember a time when he would have made that sentence into something disgusting. Doing her best to take that mindset out of her thoughts, she shook her head at his question. "Not in time, no. But I was so naïve then. Now I've mastered all the summon spirits, gone through all those trials. Something like a first job seems so…unimportant."

Zelos smiled, though she noted that it was not his typical 'I'm having disturbing fantasies about you' smile. "Not to me, it wasn't so unimportant. You used to wear that sexy little waitress getup, every day for my viewing pleasure. How could I forget _that_?"

Wrong answer. He struggled not to wince at the utter stupidity of that statement. Hadn't he said he wouldn't try and deflect the point of this talk? Apparently old habits died hard, because looking at her, 'sexy' still tended to work its way into a sentence.

So of course, it came as a surprise when she didn't react in the way he expected. Instead, her eyes were simply distant and hard to read. "I…I did _not_ like wearing that," she mumbled, her words muffled by her hand which she was resting her chin against. "All the boys that would come in…always looked at me weird. As if I wasn't already treated like I was different, because I was from Mizuho…"

The Chosen suppressed a laugh, genuinely surprised that she was so unaware. Sheena, in her sweet youth, had apparently thought of herself as anything but dazzling. How wrong she was. He'd been there to see the silent attention that she attracted amongst the male populace that came into the little shop. Seeing someone else eyeing her had always made him feel rather territorial, though he couldn't exactly stop them from _looking_. A crime he was equally guilty of. And in a glass house…it wasn't quite wise to throw stones.

He took another deep draw of coffee, wishing its effect still worked on him as it used to. "Ah, Sheena. You were always a trooper."

Turning her eyes up to his, she slipped a lock of hair smoothly behind her ear. "Well, I did what I had to. The inn fees weren't going to pay themselves…"

"That's true enough." Zelos kept his gaze on her, noticing the subtle lapse in her usual highly-defensive self. This was perhaps going his way after all. He forced himself to continue casually. "The fact that you took care of yourself like that, though, _was_ really admirable. So young, too. Most people aren't that strong."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, accompanied by a very subtle blush. "Unusually kind words from _you_, of all people," she pointed out in a teasingly sarcastic tone. "Are you trying to get something from me?"

"No, no…" He shook his head quickly. That compliment had had the opposite effect, apparently! "I just thought it was very brave of you. That's all."

The dead silence enveloped them again. Sheena had taken her eyes off of him, reminded by his gentle flirting of a time less complicated. She wondered then what had become of their tumultuous relationship. How she had come to know him, over the various stages of their lives, and all the while seeing into him as no one could. What it was that kept them so at odds, and yet always coming back to each other for some reason that neither of them seemed to know but accepted nonetheless. Where had it begun? Was there a particular point in time?

She had been fond of his presence during their childhood, maybe more than just fond. But things had changed. Despite her apparent weakness for him before, she had come to see him in the past few months as nothing more than an insensitive womanizer. That had appeared to be a fact that would never change, and she wouldn't suffer such a hurtful attitude from him any longer.

But then, what made him think to bring her back here of all places? Mentally, she frowned. Had something really changed about him? Right now, he faintly reminded her of the boy she'd used to know him as. Someone Sheena wanted so much to see again, and yet had lost hope in long ago. Now they had ended up right back where they first became acquainted, where she had first taken a tentative liking to the standoffish redhead.

Such things were not a coincidence. Though compromised by his male inability to communicate properly, there was something Zelos was trying to tell her. Somehow she wasn't quite getting it. Or maybe she just didn't believe it.

Sheena stared at the brown liquid in her cup, wondering what to even say next. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. The first one that came to mind, however, was the one she'd had from the very beginning.

"Why…why did you always visit me then, Zelos?" She whispered it just above audibility, unable to look at him this time. Sudden nervousness made the words into gravel in her throat. "Every day like that…why?"

The Chosen froze in the middle of sipping some coffee, petrified by this inquiry. She wasn't supposed to rush him like that! Before, he had had some general idea of how to approach the subject, but now she had pulled the rug out from beneath him. Maybe he'd never even been sure of what to say at all.

He smiled at her weakly, almost unseeing. "Sweetie, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you  
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you  
I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine  
Now I'm shining too  
Because oh because, I've fallen quite hard over you_

In the late Sunday twilight, only a few other people occupied the small coffee shop. For the most part they were older folks, who were trying to glean a little bit of energy out of the caffeinated elixir to get them ready for the night shift. An orchestra of clinking cups and the soft hum of voices, the place was very unassuming and plain. Nothing more than a temporary refuge.

And a refuge was indeed what the young Chosen considered it as he sat in quiet thought beside the window.

At the age of sixteen years, Zelos Wilder knew more of walls than he cared to review. Most of his time was required to be spent away from the general public, whereas an attempt on his life could easily be made. He had long questioned the authenticity of this claim by the church and royal family, seeing it as their way of keeping him out of their agendas which likely were less-than-savory. On this night, he had decided to take his leave of the prison that his home had become. If only for a few hours.

After being here for around fifteen minutes now, he had begun to find the café a quaint little spot to be. No one really took notice of him. Some might have found that to be unnerving, but he rather liked it. It felt like what freedom should be, or at least what he thought it should be. The ability to come and go as he pleased without drawing unwanted attention to himself. Perhaps the need for such solitude was unnatural, he thought, but most people were born with that right. Who would have thought such a thing was taken for granted?

The soft clicking of female shoes jerked him out of his reverie, coming to a halt before him. For an instant Zelos thought bitterly of how very slow the service was. He wasn't inclined to dwell on that idea, though, when he saw who exactly had come to serve him.

She was a girl somewhere around his age, perhaps younger. Ashen black hair in a ribbon, fair-skinned, and golden brown eyes that held the distinct characteristics of a rough day. The carnation pink uniform she wore hugged her figure in a very complimentary fashion, short and accented with an apron. And yet…her aura was _anything_ but come-hither.

It was with noticeable distaste that she followed his gaze. When she spoke, her voice was covered in ice. "Chosen One…I am _sure _your parents taught you better manners than that."

A rush of red swam across his face as he took his eyes hesitantly off of her chest. He couldn't remember ever having that kind of reaction to someone, and so instantly too! A pretty girl, and this was the first impression she just got from him. Embarrassed beyond words, he could almost feel himself sinking into the chair.

"S…sorry…" The Chosen didn't return his gaze to her, not trusting his own eyes.

Unseen to him, the young woman took some of the venom out of her expression. She hadn't thought he would take her words so harshly. Even though she was quite taken aback by his not-so-subtle glaring, she had experienced much more offensive behavior from the Meltokio residents on a daily basis.

"Oh, don't take it that hard," she answered more kindly, feeling just a tad bit sorry. "I'm not mad at you…just a little annoyed."

He looked up at her reluctantly, rather surprised that she had forgiven him so easily for his rudeness. She smiled a shy smile, one that indicated that she didn't want to get off to such a bad start.

"I'm Sheena." She motioned at the pin upon her chest, though he was a bit too stung to venture to that territory again. Not so soon, at least. "Anything I can get you, just call me over, okay?"

This offer would eventually mean so much more to him. Despite the rough start, their experiences together did not end there. Instead Zelos chose to pick up whatever was left of his already-fragile ego and find a way to repay her kindness. Almost every day he would return for some caffeine and a few words with the quirky waitress, whose mood seemed to vary with the days. Sometimes she would show a certain softness for him, and then other times she was snappy and completely unreadable as far as emotions went.

Even with this considered, he still learned a lot about her over those next few months. They were often the last two in the shop at night, with her left to close up and him lingering to keep her company. Sheena seemed to appreciate this gesture, although he did give her a lot of good-natured teasing.

At first she kept her business rather concealed from him. She would only reveal that she was staying in the city temporarily, residing in the inn until she returned to Mizuho the following year. Of course, the Chosen was rather surprised to find out that she hailed from Mizuho. She didn't look it very much, though her mannerisms seemed to fall in line with the culture.

Most apparent to him about her, however, was the hold that she had soon on his heart and mind. This brought more trouble to him than he would have first guessed. Persistently conspicuous in his observations of her, Zelos often found himself harshly reprimanded by the Mizuhoan, who appeared to be increasingly self-conscious about such a thing. He wished he knew how to tell her how strongly he felt toward her, how intrigued he was by her unusual personality.

But if she didn't feel the same way…he didn't really know what he would do with himself. A smart girl like Sheena definitely had a sense of the future, and she couldn't possibly feel safe and stable with someone whose life was so continually unpredictable. He knew this all very well.

Of course, that didn't keep him from trying. And try he did, over, and over, and over.

But it would not be until late October that he would get the chance he'd been waiting for. The actual success he was met with was, well…questionable, to say the least. Nevertheless, that night was often the one he always remembered to keep his spirits up when everything seemed lost.

A heavy winter rain storm covered the large city that evening, as it had the whole day long. Periodical bouts of thunder rumbled far off in the distance, slate-grey sky lit a dull shade of copper by the streetlights. The streets were, as one would expect, empty. No one dared to be out in the unhappy deluge. Especially when it was already pitch dark outside.

By now the red-haired Chosen had already figured out just what kind of stupid, suicidal things he would do to enjoy the presence of the pretty waitress. That being said, it was perhaps close to ten when he stepped into the little shop, dripping with water and a grim sense of victory. With her shift being the last of the night, the absence of customers was not uncommon. What _was _uncommon was that half of the lights were out.

Puzzled by this turn of events, Zelos slipped into the back to see if she had matters to attend to there. He checked every room to no avail. She hadn't said that she wouldn't be here tonight. What could have possibly happened?

When he returned to the front of the house, a bit of panic had begun to set in. If Sheena had chose to close up early, then the place would not have been open, nor would any lights be on. He couldn't help but think up the worst possibilities. Had someone kidnapped her? They would certainly pay for such a violation with their life, should that be the case.

Much to his relief, a stirring in the corner indicated that this was not so. His young friend, still in uniform, lay slouched haphazardly on one of the lounge couches in an uncomfortable sleep. Zelos crept over in silence to kneel beside her, not much happier to find her in this state than not here at all. Judging by her position she had not intended to fall asleep here. Quite obvious was the fact that exhaustion had landed her in this situation, but the redness of her face indicated troubles beyond that. She had been crying.

He couldn't help but cringe. The source of this atypical sorrow from her was not completely a mystery. Sheena had mentioned several days ago that she was running out of money, that poor business as of late had caused her payment to steadily decline. Too modest to send home for more payment, she sighed that she would simply have to find another job soon.

Apparently, it was a lot worse than she had admitted.

Why hadn't she told him this? From the very start, he had been more than willing to help. She had refused his offer then, and likely if he were to let this go unchecked, she would continue to be stubborn on it. Matters would have to be taken into his own hands.

Yes, in fact, he did have a plan. If it would work, he didn't know. But it was damn well worth a shot if it did.

Hoping to Martel that she was a heavy sleeper, Zelos gathered the little Mizuhoan in his arms and held her close. Fortunately, she was very light, not seeming to notice anything different about her location. He held his breath and elbowed the door open gently, ready to face the storm but not exactly enthusiastic about it.

The fact that the inn resided next door to the café was his salvation. So intense was the weather that he feared Sheena might end up drenched and very displeased to find herself being moved without her permission. Luck was on his side, apparently, because he managed to stay for the most part under the rooftops until they were safely indoors. Only her dark bangs had suffered for it, now covered in a dew-like mist of droplets.

At the front desk of the inn, a middle-aged woman sat reading a magazine idly. A name plate before her stated "Alice," a name Zelos didn't think anyone even had any more. The lady looked up at the two arrivals with some surprise, though not enough to make her put down her _Better Homes and Gardens._

"…Just a bit too young to be honeymooning now, aren't we Chosen?" she commented quietly, examining the comatose girl with some skepticism.

"No, nothing like that!" He shook his head, impatient at having to explain himself when Sheena could wake up at any minute. Nor did he want to tell this random stranger of her money troubles, something that was embarrassing regardless of the circumstances. "Just put her, and _only_ her, down for a room. The whole month in fact, I've got it covered. Okay…_Alice_?"

Though looking a bit irritated, the woman handed him a key and motioned down the hall. "Her usual room is number twelve...here's the key. But she better not come asking me tomorrow what happened last night, because I'm not getting involved in that…"

He shot her a smile as he turned to go, brushing away a lock of red hair that was tickling the cheek of the young woman in his arms. Sheena was much too proud to admit a moment of vulnerability such as the one she was currently in. "You won't have to."

It was thankfully only a few moments later when he set her down upon a soft, welcoming bed. Zelos found that much to his relief, she was sleeping just as soundly as he'd found her. Mission accomplished. The next day he would probably end up telling her, but by then she would be well-rested and hopefully easier to explain the whole thing to. Though she hated to show weakness of any kind, he had a feeling that with the right amount of sweet words she would have to just accept his kindness.

He tugged the blinds shut for her and went stealthily to the door to make his exit. Out of reflex his gaze lingered upon the still form on the bed, the rise and fall of her chest the only movement she made. Absolutely captivating as always, even in sleep.

What came over him next, Zelos was not entirely sure. Perhaps, he thought later, it was a subconscious knowledge that it was now or never. From the doorway he came to her bedside, moving a few stray hairs from her face to lay a kiss upon her rosy lips. The sensation was vivid, her familiar saccharine scent flooding his mind with an intense desire to stay in the bliss of it forever.

But of course, the night demanded that he leave her to her rest, and thus he pulled back reluctantly from her. This little liberty he took would be one that he was glad she wouldn't recall.

He smiled as he shut the door quietly behind him, half-aware of the absolute obscurity of the situation. His first kiss had just been stolen from this unconscious girl, the center of his admiration and longing, who might never even know that he loved her.

_If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know  
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone_

And up until this moment, he thought grimly, she still didn't. Zelos kept his wistful smile upon her, wishing he had had the nerve to tell her back then. Now it might be too late.

"Why would I not believe you?" she asked softly, her eyes serious despite the usual tension of their conversations. "You wouldn't lie to me about that, would you?"

"Of course not!" The former Chosen's smile fell as he let out a short sigh, unable to hold her gaze while searching for the right words to say. He had never expected this to be easy, but certainly not this hard either! "I just doubt you'd trust me any more."

Sheena slipped her hand in his, imploring him to tell her the words she knew very well that she wanted to hear from him. "Try me."

He did not react to her at first, but when he did speak up, it was a question rather then an answer. "Have you ever told someone you love them?"

"As in…_love_?" She blinked, genuinely startled by this unexpected inquiry. "No, not yet, anyways...why're you asking that?"

"Because it's a lot harder than it sounds," Zelos answered in a lifeless tone, a rare sadness in his manner. Speaking to her was not getting any less difficult, though he did feel a little less apprehensive the more he did so. "And for so long, I couldn't do it. I wanted to, I felt it just the same…but I never thought you had any reason to feel the same for me. When your life had so much more promise than mine."

Her grip on him tightened, as well as the knot that had begun to build in her stomach. She had sensed something like this would erupt between them eventually; they had never come to terms with their sudden parting when she had to return to her home. It had been just as hard for her as it had him, but she was a lot better at pretending that she wasn't in pain. "That never mattered to me," she stated, her voice wavering slightly. "You were there for me, and that's all I could see."

He glanced up at her with soft blue eyes, long-lost turmoil burning in them. "I loved being there for you, and I always was. But to say what I really felt…I didn't want to be vulnerable like that. I was afraid of it."

Still the ninja held a slight wariness, not willing to resign her grudge against him so soon. "Then why have you been so…_unbearable_ ever since I left Meltokio?"

A small smile graced his lips; almost undetectable if she'd not known him so well. "I am the Chosen," he began. "_That_…that is a word that carries lots of power and riches. Every woman in this city has always wanted that. And…while I played the role that everyone liked to see…I was still alone. So very alone."

Just by a hair, her glare softened. "Alone?"

He smiled wider as he looked deeply at her, knowing for once what to say without thinking."Well, I wanted _you_."

She never thought she'd hear him say _that_ seriously.

"If I couldn't have what I wanted, then I'd be by myself. You were in my heart for good, and that wasn't going to ever change…I knew that. I couldn't follow through for Cruxis for that exact reason." He paused for a moment and shook his head."I may lie to myself a lot, but never about how I felt for you…"

Sheena took a long sip of her coffee, contemplating this all with the utmost deliberation. "And is this why those girls are all ready to burn your house down?"

The redhead blinked, a devious look creeping onto his face. For once she was very glad that he wasn't making some offensive comment toward her to accompany it. "I'm not Chosen _anymore_. They can take their pans and look for gold elsewhere."

She smirked, finding his thoughts to be quite similar to her own on the matter. "So you didn't turn into such an ass after all, hm? I always did like the old you a lot more than the 'Chosen,' you know."

With this, the smile he wore faded slightly, a more somber tone in his presence as he looked into her brown eyes. "I'm still that person, Sheena…and I swear, I will show you that. No matter what it takes."

_I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop  
I love so much  
All of the while I never knew..._

The sun had at last cleared the horizon when the two emerged from the little coffee shop, this time a lot closer than when they had arrived. Sheena was rather partial to the idea of staying the whole day long, but her wrecked home and stacks of paperwork awaited nonetheless. She expressed this to the man beside her with a tone that spelled out obvious disappointment. Her only request was that he come visit her again as soon as possible, if not sooner.

Of course, Zelos didn't have any objections to _that_.

However, there was one thing he asked in exchange. Something he had asked of her before that she had refused time and time again.

But this occasion was quite different. In fact, she found herself leaning up to meet him for a kiss goodbye. The Chosen savored every moment of it, though he couldn't help but worry if she noticed his nervousness. This was something he'd waited so long for, her gorgeous body pressed against him and warm in his arms. Judging from the soft sigh of delight that escaped her, this momentous pleasure was the only thing on her mind. That little sound was enough to make him forget any uncertainty he might have had; she was happy just to be close like this.

And so was he.

As they boarded their Rheaird and lifted off for her hometown, Sheena could not help but find her hopes rising with them. She would not be uncertain of her life any longer, or feel that empty void in her heart when she went to bed at night. There was someone there now, someone who would share the happy times with her, and carry her though all the dark corners of life. Someone to tell her how very loved she was.

That, she knew, was what she had always been waiting for.

_All of the while, all of the while...  
It was you._

* * *

**A/N**: Wow, that was actually really fun to write! ;) If you haven't heard the song, I recommend it very much. The guitar tab is just gorgeous. Anyhow, this was fun either way. Feel free to **R & R**, I love comments. Just try not to beat me with a stick needlessly, I prefer a tire iron if you need to whoop my ass. Hehe, just kidding. I need two unbroken arms to type with.

Also, I based some of this as a tribute to my first Sheelos fic, if some of the aspects seem similar. Like their first kiss, I think I said something about that before. The one in here was just...damn cute, if I do say so myself. Most of the plot I just improvised though. And the result I liked pretty well.

Love you, and I'm out!

-FP


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